2 Week Nail Growth Update

Hi guys! I just wanted to quickly show you my 2 week (well, technically tomorrow makes 2 weeks but whatever) nail growth update since my nail break. I've been following my same nail care routine seen in my previous nail growth update prior to the break. I can definitely see the growth that has occurred as I now have a pretty decent length for my free edge!

Do you like these growth updates? Would you like to see weekly updates? Let me know your thoughts!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

Nail Polish Canada Holiday Contest - Week One: Snow

So it's Nail Polish Canada's 2nd annual holiday nail art challenge, and I have decided to join yet again! The theme for week one is anything to do with snow... Here's what I came up with.

The colors I used for this manicure are:
China Glaze ~ So Blue Without You
China Glaze ~ Dandy Lyin' Around
Color Club ~ Gift of Sparkle
Nails Inc ~ Electric Lane Holographic Top Coat

If you truly like my manicure, I'd be grateful if you took a minute out of your day to vote for it here. Can't wait to see what next week has in store for us!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

China Glaze - Dash of Dazzle Set Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! Today on the blog I have swatches of the 3 polishes that make up the Dash of Dazzle gift set (from the Happy HoliGlaze collection). Am I a nerd for laughing at this cute little note that the wonderful people at Nail Polish Canada sent with my polishes ? The three polishes that make up the Dash of Dazzle Set are Mingle With Kringle, Bells Will Be Blinging, and So Blue Without You.

Mingle With Kringle is a beautiful gold foil polish with little bronze bits of glitter. Most metallic polishes don't agree with my skin tone, but this color actually compliments me very well! Swatches are 2 coats of Mingle With Kringle worn alone.

Bells Will Be Blinging consists of light blue micro glitters, silver hexagonal glitters, and silver holographic bar glitters in a clear base. Swatches are 2 coats of Mingle With Kringle followed by 1 coat of Bells Will Be Blinging, and 2 coats of So Blue Without You followed by 1 coat of Bells Will Be Blinging. You can also achieve full coverage in 2-3 coats worn alone if applied properly.

Lastly is So Blue Without You which is a blue foil polish. Although I've heard many others complain about this polish being "too bright" for a holiday collection, I think it is just perfect for the winter months, as well as the summer months. When I first applied this polish the first things that came to my mind we're large bodies of frozen water, as well as the big ocean blue. Swatches are 2 coats worn alone.

I absolutely adored this polish, and wondered what it would look like as a holographic polish... So I applied 1 coat of Darling Diva Polish Dreamy topcoat and here were my results. LOVE!

I'm extremely glad I had the opportunity to try these polishes for myself. Seeing the swatches online does nothing in comparison to seeing what these polishes look like in person in my opinion. These polishes apply beautifully, but make sure not to have too much polish on the brush while painting, as it might flood your cuticles. I definitely have my eyes on a few other polishes from the Happy HoliGlaze that I need to get my hands on, and if they're half as good as these 3 polishes, then I just might scream!

The China Glaze Dash of Dazzle set can be purchased from www.nailpolishcanada.com for $15.00 with free shipping. Don't forget to "Like" China Glaze and Nail Polish Canada on Facebook for updates, deals, and photos!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

 *Products sent for my honest review*

HUGE Nail Polish Storage Deal

I don't know if this deal is occurring in the US as well, BUT the Michael craft stores in Canada have the Melmers 60% off PLUS a Tuesday November 26th, 2013 only (9AM - 12PM) special of an additional 30% off entire purchase. This means you're only paying $5 plus tax !!!

Hope this helps someone, spread the news!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

China Glaze - How Will You Live in Colour This Holiday Season? Contest Information

NAIL IT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

China Glaze® Nail Lacquer Announces Holiday Nail Art Contest

Los Angeles (November 18, 2013) – Celebrate the season in colour with China Glaze® Nail Lacquer.  The leading nail polish brand announces the How Will You Live in Colour This Holiday Season? Contest. Participants enter their best holiday-themed designs to win cash prizes and China Glaze® collections. ‘Tis the season to top those tips in glitz, glam and festive flare. Go with the classic, throw in a twist-on-traditional or create a unique holiday concept.

The top 25 finalists win:

Grand Prize - $1,000 Visa Gift Card

2^nd Prize - $500 Visa Gift Card

3^rd Prize - $250 Visa Gift Card

22 Congratulations Winners – 12 pc. China Glaze® Happy HoliGlaze Collection

To enter, visit www.chinaglaze.com/chinaglazecontest between Nov. 15 - Dec. 20 and upload a holiday-themed nail art look, using only lacquer – no embellishments, please.

Contestants will receive a unique URL to share via social media when online voting begins on Dec. 15. Online voting ends on Dec. 31 and the top 25 winners will be submitted to the judging panel for placing. The expert judging panel includes top celebrity manicurists and bloggers:

Winners will be officially announced via www.chinaglaze.com on or about Jan. 31, 2014.

The China Glaze® How Will You Live in Colour This Holiday Season? Contest is open to residents of the United States as well as Canada (excluding Quebec), France, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

China Glaze® nail lacquers are free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information regarding the contest guidelines and Official Rules, please visit www.chinaglaze.com. Follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Twitter (@ChinaGlazeOfficial), Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze) and Instagram (@ChinaGlazeOfficial & #ChinaGlazeHolidayContest2013).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

Lac Attack - Magical Mischief Press Release

From the indie and blogger team that brought you the first Harry Potter-inspired collection, Magical Musings, comes the second installment of the collection. These colors were inspired by some of Kirsten and my favorite characters from the series. We've been working on this together for the past few months, and I'm so excited to finally release the information! For Kirsten's exclusive review and first look at the collection, go to her blog!

To Order:


Pre-orders are available now until Friday, November 29th. Full size pre-orders cost $80, which includes shipping and a bonus Harry Potter-themed mini polish! A limited number of mini size pre-orders are available for $40, which includes free shipping. US pre-orders can be placed directly using LacAttack.com. If you would like to include any or all of the Carol of the Nails colors in your pre-order, please note that they will ship with your pre-order and will add shipping costs to your order.

International pre-orders will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please email info@lacattack.com with your order (including any add-on polishes you may want) and shipping address. I cannot guarantee that I can accept all international pre-orders but I will do my best.  I will not ship to the UK, due to issues with the Royal Mail. Please note that Harlow & Co. will be stocking the new collection and ships worldwide.

Regular ordering will open on the anniversary of the Magical Musings launch, along with a FULL restock and launch of the Carol of the Nails trio, on December 1st at 2:00pm EST.

NOTD - Kiss By the Tree Meets Manhattan

Good morrow fellow nail polish enthusiasts! Today I have a beautiful new glitter top coat to show you from Finger Paints to get you ready for the holiday season.

This polish is called Kiss By the Tree from the Holiday Love Affair collection that can be found at Sally's. Kiss By the Tree consists of multiple shapes and sizes of white and metallic red glitters in a clear base. I decided (and found after testing some swatches) that it is best when swatched over a darker base color to make the red glitter really POP! My swatches are 2 coats of Manhattan by NYC which is a deep purple polish followed by 1 coat of Kiss By The Tree.

The first thing that pops into my head when I look at this polish is candy canes, which SCREAMS holiday season in my opinion (which I am totally excited for)! I might have to break my no buy once again and buy a few more polishes from Finger Paints, they're releasing some beauties this holiday season!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Nails?

So this weekend I hit up Sally's to pick up a big ol' bottle of nail polish remover and some top coat, but I still had $5.00 to make up before I hit the $20.00 mark to use the coupon, so I was able to pick up a polish (yay)! After struggling for a good 10 minutes, I finally chose ONE polish, and that polish is Colorful Collage by Finger Paints.

Colorful Collage is packed with multiple sizes of silver holographic hexagonal glitters in a clear base.

That same night I removed my old manicure and this baby went right onto my nails! The base color I used for this manicure is two coats of U Pink Swear by Milani, I then applied one coat of Colorful Collage.

I loved this manicure, but it felt like something was missing... I just didn't know what at the time. So a day after applying this manicure I whipped out my nail foil and added some to the tips of my nails. The nail foil glue brush applied the glue streaky, which I actually like because it gives the foil a cool look when applied. The more I looked at my nails after I was finishes, the more I was reminded of the pink Power Ranger. Am I the only one that thinks so? I don't know...

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3

My Nail Routine & Update

Happy Humpday! Today on the blog I'll be showing you my simple routine for maintaining healthy, strong nails on a budget.

No, I do not have the money to be buying  a million nail hardeners, or biotin pills & whatever other unnecessary crap is on the market for your nails. There is only one thing that your nails crave, and that is moisture (and no I'm not talking about water)! The ONLY products I use are cuticle oil and lotion. The type of cuticle oil & lotion you use does not matter much, as long as you keep on applying either one or even both products when your hands feel dry.

Here are what my nails looked like at the Beginning of October (sorry I have no photos without polish). Pay attention to the shape, and length.

Here is what  my nails look like currently. Below are what my nails look like after a combination of cold weather, acetone, and hand washing. My nails are slightly stained red because of my previous manicure, but it should fade away gradually after my next manicure.

After washing my hand and letting them dry, I apply cuticle oil to my cuticles, under my free edge, and on my nail. I then massage in the oil and let it sink in for a few minutes. The cuticle oil I am currently using is Bliss Kiss.

Next I apply about a quarter sized amount of lotion to my two hands working it from my finger tips down to my wrists. I also let the lotion sink in for a while, and that's all there is too it! All of the lotions I use for my hands are from Bath and Body Works (aka my second OBSESSION) but feel free to use whatever you like, Another thing that helps my nails grow stronger and longer is polishing them. I find that my nails ALWAYS break the day I decide to go without it, so if you're not one to wear polish everyday, you can follow these steps followed by a base coat & top coat.

Here are some more tips that I think will help if you are experiencing some nail issues:

* Try avoiding having your hands in water for long periods of time if possible. Ex. If you are washing dishes, use rubber gloves! This minimizes chance of breakage
*Do not file your nails unnecessarily, and when you do, do not file them too sharply. I find that when I do this my nails get snagged on something and end up tearing
*Even if your nails do tear, DO NOT CHOP THEM OFF! As you can see from my photos from the beginning of October, all of my nails are rounded and are not equal length. When my nails break at the edge, I just round off my nails until they grow out. This saves the wait time opposed to having nubs (if you're a blogger like me) which is a lifesaver!

Hope something in this post helps someone out there that may be experiencing some problems!

Peace & Love,
--TPJ<3